The FACTI Panel has kicked off a series of consultations with stakeholders, beginning with a dedicated session for UN Member States and a global town hall for civil society organizations.
The virtual consultation with UN Member States, held on 24 April 2020, was the first chance the Panel has had to interact with Member States since its composition was finalized. More than 160 people participated in the meeting, and 24 delegations made statements.
The virtual global town hall with civil society on 28 April 2020 drew more than 150 people and statements from some 15 civil society organizations.
Videos (Member States, civil society) and summaries of both virtual meetings are available. The summaries (Member States, civil society) show that among the common priorities to emerge from both forums is the call for universal participation in robust, effective systems of international cooperation, particularly with respect to tax cooperation and anti-corruption measures.
In both gatherings, participants urged the Panel to focus on ways to strengthen existing mechanisms, while ensuring that developing countries are afforded equal opportunity to shape the global architecture, in accordance with the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
There is one more expert consultation scheduled, on cooperation and dispute settlement on 8 May.
And if you’ve missed a consultation but still wish to make your voice heard, don’t worry: we want to hear from you! The conversation continues with our open call for comments. We invite you to submit your ideas in writing via email by Friday, 24 May 2020.